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Ever look at pictures of people you don’t know (e.g., a friend’s yearbook) and find yourself making judgements about their intellect or other personality traits? Or, maybe you’ve looked at a picture of someone you heard was intelligent (or wealthy), then noticed they suddenly became much more attractive in their pictures? Well, there’s a psychological term for that phenomenon: It’s called the Halo Effect. The Halo Ef

In last week’s blog, I spoke about The Strange Situation, an experiment devised by Dr. Mary Ainsworth for identifying the different ways that children (and theoretically, adults) relate to others. The first attachment style that I discussed was Secure Attachment (click here for last week’s blog). In today’s blog, I’ll briefly discuss the other types of attachment patterns. As you read through, think of how you (or so

I remember facilitating psychotherapy groups for adolescents a few years ago. One of the topics that always led to interesting discussions was that of Relationships. Whenever this topic came up, especially when discussing past or current partners, there were two words (among others…these are teens, remember) that were always mentioned: ‘secure’ and ‘insecure.’ Why did you leave him? “I left him because he was so inse

Imagine you are in the early stages of a romantic relationship. The two of you have been spending much time together in person – almost every waking moment, in fact. When you are not together, you do whatever you can to stay connected – through email, texting, phone calling, Morse code… Then, one day, your partner tells you that they’re going to spend the evening without you. “Will you at least text or call me?” you

In the last two blog entries, I wrote about cognitive-behavioural theory and how it explains intimate partner aggression. The main tenet in these blogs was that when an individual perpetrates aggression, they usually engage in biased forms of self-talk (thoughts) that ultimately lead to violent and aggressive behaviours. In today’s blog, I will identify one of the cognitive processes that all humans (whether or not w

Last week, I outlined how cognitive-behavioural theory (CBT) explains aggression, particularly in the context of intimate relationships. In today’s blog, I’ll discuss how CBT can be used with victims of relationship abuse. Thoughts and Behaviours in Victims of Partner Abuse Over the course of an abusive relationship a perpetrator will use both physical and non-physical forms of abuse to blame and control their victim

Cognitive theory originated with the works of Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck. It later emerged into Cogntive-Behavioural Theory (or CBT). This theory suggests that individuals who are experiencing any kind of distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger) are usually engaging in biased ways of thinking. The role of the therapist when operating from a cognitive paradigm is to identify what some of these biases may be and he

In the next few blogs, I’ll be discussing some of the more common theories and approaches used for understanding and treating intimate partner abuse. In today’s blog, we’ll look at feminist theory. Feminist Theory and Domestic Violence Feminist theory in domestic violence emphasizes gender and power inequality in opposite-sex relationships. It focuses on the societal messages that sanction a male’s use of viole

I’ve been following the events that have gripped Japan over these last few days. The pictures, videos, and personal accounts from survivors have been dramatic. They have also been traumatic. Witnessing others endure a difficult situation can also trigger memories of traumatic events that may have happened in our lives, leading us to be re-traumatized. What is trauma? Signs and Symptoms Most dictionaries define trauma

Today, I wanted to extend upon my last blog (Feb. 28, 2011) where I wrote about the use of surveys as a means for quantifying spousal violence. The blog discussed how surveys and questionnaires do not always paint the most accurate picture of what happens when opposite-sex couples use violence in their relationships. Some studies, for example, will portray women as being equally abusive as men. Typically, these are l

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Please keep in mind that the information on this site is not a replacement for professional psychological services. It is for informational purposes only. If you are concerned about how your emotional or mental health, please contact a mental health professional (psychotherapist or psychologist) for a consultation.